What should be in a knife review?

[sam_acw]

Having read many knife reviews on here I was wondering which format would be most useful to people. I have (or will shortly have) sevreal knives which I am going to write a group test sort of article for and I'm trying to come up with a set of tests for them that are realistic for what they are usually used for.
The knives I have are all pocket knives - some fixed and some folding.
The Knives in question are

Opinel Inox No.6
American Hunter style lockback form Decathlon
BRKT Mikro Slither
Victorinox Farmer
Small Scandi (I think it's a helle blade)

The tests I've thought of so far are

Making a tent peg
Carving hard wood
Cutting string
Cutting meat for jerky
General vegetable slicing
Fitting in a tobbaco tin (for survival kit) and trouser pocket

Can anybody suggest any further tests?
Thanx

 

[scruff]

You seem to have missed off the obligatory - Carving a feather stick

Not to mention the "Ferro Rod" test!

 

[beachlover]

I would be interested in it's food prep, but not just veggie stuff. How does it skin and joint a bunny? How does it gut a fish? How easy is it to maintain in the field? How easy is it to clean?

 

[scruff]

I would be interested in it's food prep, but not just veggie stuff. How does it skin and joint a bunny? How does it gut a fish? How easy is it to maintain in the field? How easy is it to clean?

Yes on a serious note I'd have to agree with beachlover. The ease of cleaning a knife is pretty important especailly where food prep is concerned. IT would be interesting to here your thoughts on that.

I've found some of the reviews I've read here: http://www.backpackgeartest.org/ pretty good. Perhaps some of these reviews could give you a few ideas on what to include.

Good luck!

 

[RovingArcher]

I realize that the following could be depended on who is actually doing the testing and methods used to do the tests as well as the sharpening, but I'd like to see some mention of the following for each knife.

Edge holding
Ease of sharpening
effectiveness comparison of different grinds
ergonomics during use
potential safety problems

 

[beachlover]

I
ergonomics during use
potential safety problems

Spot on!
It would be good to see how the tester found it to be in the different grips and safety issues would be good in terms of conserving my first aid kit too

 

[swyn]

I know that there are more knife experts out there than I will ever confess to being. There is one thing that is important to me in particular with folders and that is .. Can you open it easily when it has been wet all day and your fingernails are wet and consequently very soft and bendy....
Swyn.

 

[Ogri the trog]

The topic of edge retention has been mentioned but I'm not sure how to make it truely comparable - unless.... .....
Perhaps you could make a feather stick at the start of the test period, and make another at the end of it - so that your comments of the ease or otherwise can be a guide to how suitable the edge was at the end of a period of realistic work; before any field sharpening test were carried out.

Very good idea.

Ogri the trog

 

[sam_acw]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'll be trying to incorporate them but as waitrose is where I do my hunting there wont be any bunnies
It might be a while before it sees the light of day as with photos and text it will be pretty big. Probably about 20-25 images (small ones though) and 4000ish words
I'd better go find some cheap hosting too....

 

[Andy]

cost may be something to mention, with a folding knife I'd also look at weight.
Pictures help with reviews and it seems to work much better if you can start off with a smll into and have sections where the text is divided by a few pictures

My last review was of a custom convex ground knife and since I'd owned a F1 before that I tried to create a review which would help people that have already decided they want something of that style, this was because I felt that people spending that much on a knife will have likely tried a number of production knives first. I tried to cover the questions users who wanted something like that would want to know whilst also helps collectors decide if it was for them

 

[JohnC]

Some years back in the old S.W.A.T. mag there were regular knife reviews. The reviewer had a set of standard tests, of course I can't remember them, but food prep, trying to twist the handle while the grip was wet, and cuttingthrough a hanging rope (IIRC) were some of them.
Maybe someone has some old copies of the mag and recalls them?

 

[Graham_S]

i remember that the reviewer used to stab the knife hard into a tree and try to pull it out with soapy hands (thus demonstrating the grip security)

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

I used to love that mag, i really regret giving them all away

 

[leon-1]

A while ago I was thinking about reviewing the Grohman boat knife (it's not standard because it was from kit), I used it continuously in the kitchen for over a month, it is now one of my favoured kitchen knives.

I have used it for carving bow drill sets and other bushcraft activities, the things I liked about it were the fact that it was good to use for long periods of time, it is reasonably light in weight, it has pretty good edge retention and that it is a secure knife (you never have the feeling that it will slip in your grip).

Cost was low because it came in kit form, I didn't have to worry about how robust it was (I made it), but that is obviously a good thing to know about. Cleaning is an issue with any knife, but the handle has spent so much time soaking in a mixture of waxes and gets coated any time it gets a good soaking, that was not really an issue either.

Does it cut?
Is it robust?
Has it got good edge retention?
Is it easy to sharpen?
What Grind does it use?
Is it lite or heavy?
What is the handle size?
Is it easy to use?
Is it tireing to use?
Is it comfortable in use?
Is it secure?
How much does it cost?
Does it come with Extra's and if it does what is the quality like??? (sheath / pouch).
Is it Carbon or Stainless?

I have skinned a riendeer using a Wenger swiss army knife and never needed to touch up the blade.

Have a single set of questions for all of the knives, use them and compare the results . Kitchen work covers a lot and can tell you a massive amount about a knife. Woodwork is another thing to look at, beyond that the choice is yours.

 

[mikehill]

Good one Leon I can only add, if it is custom made, is it guaranteed for the life of the maker.
Mike.

 

[beachlover]

A while ago I was thinking about reviewing the Grohman boat knife (it's not standard because it was from kit), I used it continuously in the kitchen for over a month, it is now one of my favoured kitchen knives.

.

The kitchen is a great place to test knives. I have been using Lord Farquhars (sp) nessmuk in the kitchen for a couple of weeks now and would have no hesitation in feeling confident about taking it out with me, as it has coped well with gutting, meat prep, veg prep, chopping, boning and even spreading butter on toast! If you are tesing a knife, then having it with you all the time for tasks is the way to go and for a lot of folk the kitchen is the somewhat limited, but everyday testing ground.

 

[sam_acw]

I'm also getting a nessmuk made by someone else. I doubt I'll review it though as the maker only speaks polish and my polish is really really poor. As a result I'm not quite sure what i've asked for!
Having seen all your demands and thought a bit longer it will probably be best to do multiple reviews but all in a similar format. The first one will be the BRKT mikro slither as it is probably the most unusual and I've only seen one similar knife reveiwed but even that was nearly twice the size. It also makes you use a really unusual grip.
Time to go off and play at the weekend methinks

 

[beachlover]

Time to go off and play at the weekend methinks

Good plan I think .

 

[kb31]

try makeing a bow drill how long dos it take? how easy is ? fire's the key to life when liveing outside clean water safe food etc if it won't do that then it's useless for bushcraft